Justice Minister Tzipi Livni mourned the passing of former Kadima chairman: "Arik Sharon was a farmer, a fighter, and a prime minister who became a father of a nation, but more than anything he was a man I loved."

"They say veteran soldiers never die – they fade away. Arik faded away eight years ago, and now he has left us for good. We had eight years to say goodbye, and yet we couldn't. We say goodbye to him now. My deepest condolences to Omri and Gilad who fought for his life with him and were always by his side," she added. (Moran Azulay and Attila Somfalvi)